We should be grateful to Jo Johnson for backing a Final Say

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Saturday 10 November 2018 16:56 GMT
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He realises a second referendum is the only fair way forward
He realises a second referendum is the only fair way forward (EPA)

I do believe we owe Jo Johnson a very large thank you for laying out his very stark reasons as to why we the people of Britain need a new referendum. The truth is now out.

Back in June 2016, the electorate were offered to drink the milk and honey from the Brexit campaign’s cup of plenty, 50 per cent of those who voted supported that choice. Now we know what Theresa May knows – the cup of plenty is filled with a bitter poison, but nonetheless, she insists we voted to drink from that cup and that is what she is going to deliver, despite the dangerous change of its contents.

The truth is now out that she knows that it will do us all significant harm, but still she keeps insisting that there will not be a second referendum – she is delivering the will of the people.

It seems we are all doomed to suffer the consequences of one woman’s personal madness. Is there not a doctor in the house?

David Curran
Middlesex

Ever since the Brexit referendum was initiated there has been an intractable problem and a particular piece of stubbornness. The problem is the Irish border – the stubbornness from Jeremy Corbyn.

The EU requires a trade border at its boundaries. If the UK is out the border has to be either between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland or between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. If there is no such border the UK is still in the EU. Of course the UK being in the EU is not Brexit so for the Remainers it is a victory at the cost of political power. For the Brexiteers, being in without any political power is lose-lose.

Corbyn’s ascendancy is from being regarded as an honourable man, and he has been consistent on Brexit. Unfortunately his consistency is in being opposed to the UK being limited in any way from unilaterally supporting UK industry.

He has failed to appreciate that the rest of Europe finds ways to support their national interests in spite of the EU rules. He is too honourable to see or accept that you must play European rules in Europe.

He could have changed the referendum result had he not left it in the lap of the gods. He could change it now by getting behind another vote. Ironically he needs to listen to Momentum: their recent survey shows that their support comes from people who want engagement, only 17 per cent are opposed to another vote.

The honourable course of action is to go back to the people. It is also an escape route. The Brexiteers will not get what they want, but they never did, and never will, actually agree on what they want.

Jon Hawksley
Address supplied

Would Stanley Johnson kindly don the mantle of King Solomon and adjudicate between his sons?

John Doherty
Austria

Iceland’s Christmas advert should never have been banned

The human race seems to be obsessed with the most trivial, pettifogging nonsense, while the Earth slowly dies at our hands.

Regarding the banned Iceland Christmas advert, does the organisation Clearcast (no, I’ve never heard of them either) really think some nitpicking nonsense about impartiality in adverts weighs against the massive opportunity offered by the advert to alert the public about the destruction of the orangutans’ home, and consequently the species itself? All for the sake of palm oil to put in biscuits and shampoo?

The advert is absolutely charming and extremely educational. For goodness sake, fellow humans, stop studying your navels for reasons to be offended in some obscure way, and focus instead on the truly horrific plight of the wildlife upon whom we are inflicting such misery, pain and anguish.

It is time to look outwards and take responsibility for our actions.

Penny Little
Oxfordshire

From today, women are working for free – this affects our pensions as well as our salaries

A member of my team came to my desk and reminded me that from today I will be working for free till Christmas compared to my male colleagues due to the gender pay gap.

While I agree that pensions should not be differentiated by gender, until the same gender-neutral state arises for pay, it is still not an even playing field. My occupational pension will never be worth as much in real terms as my male counterparts’. I will have to probably work longer for my occupational pension to give me the same return.

Laura Dawson
Harpenden

Will the health secretary want my spare fridge?

Over the past two years or so, readers will have heard and seen the anti-EU zealots predicting a glorious future after Brexit.

Now in one of the latest bizarre statements from ministers, I hear Matt Hancock (health secretary) intends to acquire vast numbers of refrigerators to stock-pile medicines.

Call me cynical, but it looks to me that a glorious future is only likely for the manufacturers of fridges.

Robert Boston
Kent

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